


Guardian

by lixiekins



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Tragedy, Fluff and Humor, Inspired by Goblin (K-drama), Inspired by Music, M/M, inspired by heaven's official blessing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26139463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lixiekins/pseuds/lixiekins
Summary: Over one thousand years ago, a young man named Hwang Hyunjin sacrificed his life to save an entire village. After his death, he ascended to Heaven, and as a reward for his benevolent deed, the Creators turned him into a supreme being. Hyunjin, now a Guardian God, gets sent back down to modern-day earth to begin guiding mortals in their plights. While completing his first mission, he meets a mysterious demon with enchanting silver eyes and hair. Little does Hyunjin know, this dark entity has been waiting to see him again for a very, very long time.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix, Kim Seungmin/Seo Changbin
Comments: 15
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by M2 Finding SKZ God Edition + Goblin + Heaven’s Official Blessing

_You were my first love._

_In each of your lifetimes, you were the same…_

_Your smiles, your eyes, your breaths, and your tears._

_For many years, I fell for you again and again. I looked after you, and I stayed with you._

_Every moment we had together was a gift._

_When the days were happy and when the days were sad, I loved all of them…_

_Because you were there._

_Each time we said farewell, I cried, and I could only hope that next time,_

_there would be no more goodbyes._

_Even after all this time, my heart aches for no one else but you._

_And now, here you are again - my first love and my last love._

_My one and my only._

_So for one final time, let me be yours again too._

Over a thousand years ago, he was a young man named Hwang Hyunjin. He lived in a small village at the base of a mountain and worked in a rice field from dawn ’til dusk each day. He had a mother and a father, but when he was sixteen, they both perished from a malady that had no cure. The villagers were also afflicted by the same disease, and to save them from dying, Hyunjin decided to parlay with the gods.

For three days, he journey up the mountain that loomed over his home, and once he reached the top, the young man beseeched the heavens for the deliverance of his people. But Hyunjin knew his prayers would not be answered without a sacrifice. He knew had to give the gods something in return for their help. So without selfishness and without hesitance, Hyunjin stabbed himself in the heart. As he slowly died, his blood amalgamated with the rain that descended from skies. The cool droplets gently doused his weakening body, and with a small smile, he silently thanked the gods for listening to his plea and welcomed the darkness that clouded over his vision.

That day, his spirit left the mortal world, and when Hyunjin opened his eyes once more, he was in Heaven.

He met the Creators, the original celestials who founded the three kingdoms, and with their powers, they made him a god.

His divine purpose was simple - to live amongst the humans and to be their guiding light in times of sorrow and hardship.

Without delay, the Creators sent him back down to earth…but to Hwang Hyunjin’s surprise, much time had passed, and the human realm was no longer as it once was.

* * *

Hyunjin had been walking around aimlessly since he descended, disoriented by all the deafening sounds and vibrant colors he was experiencing for the first time.

Strange animals sped past him faster than any horse he’d ever ridden. Pillars in dull hues were erected side by side, blocking out the sun’s light with their towering, monstrous forms. Different tunes and melodies were blaring in the wind, but Hyunjin could not pinpoint who was playing instruments or singing out loud.

There were so many people all around him, either captiously glancing at him as they walked by. But Hyunjin felt more uncomfortable with the indecency of their bodies than with their judgmental stares. The humans of this generation were all dressed in odd and scandalous garments. Many of them men had their arms and necks exposed, while some of the women wore skirts that barely had enough material to cover their legs.

What was most disturbing to him, however, was the lack of green plants and the barrenness of the ground beneath his feet. Where were all the trees? What happened to all the fertile soil needed for planting rice?

He felt great worry for the poor souls unfortunate enough to live on this arid land. It was no wonder why the Creators had been quick to send him back down. The humans in this new era must have been starving, and it was now Hyunjin’s duty to guide them towards a new source of sustenance.

“ _Are you crazy?! What are you doing walking around looking like that?!_ ”

Startled by the booming voice behind him, the Guardian God spun around in alarm and met the vexed expression of a man with mismatched eyes.

It was another god.

Hyunjin’s own eyes darted left and right, desperately hoping that the man was shouting at someone else and not him.

“ _Ya! I’m talking to you, straw shoes! Don’t think I won’t beat your ass just because I’m shorter than you!”_

He could feel both the mystical energy and aggravation radiating off of the other god’s worldly form, but it was his eerie set of eyes - one blue and one red - that had the Guardian God cowering in fear.

Hyunjin had only descended from Heaven mere moments ago. What had he done to anger the strange deity to this extent?

“I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me!” Hyunjin immediately apologized, putting his hands up to shield himself from the supreme being stalking closer and closer.

“Are you trying to attract the wrong kind of attention?! Because if you are, you’re doing a mighty fine job at it!” the strange god cried out. He grabbed the collar of Hyunjin’s celestial robes and pulled him into a narrow road between the towering pillars.

Hyunjin allowed himself to be easily dragged away, unwilling to fight against another god. He didn’t know what powers the other man possessed, and he wasn’t even sure what his own powers were. The Creators had not given him the luxury to discover them before sending him away.

“Why are you dressed like that?!” the other god demanded to know.

“I…I-I-I…uhm, d-don’t all the gods d-dress like thi-this?”

The Guardian God peered down at what his contemporary was wearing, and he seemed to have chosen to abandon their holy regalia in exchange for modern, human clothing.

“What? Did you just fall down to earth two seconds ago and hit your head on the pavement? This is the twenty-first century! If you walk around looking like that, you’re going to be thrown into the loony bin! Or worse, some demon might try to kidnap you!”

“I did descend only moments before you saw me!!! B-But I didn’t hit my head…I mean…m-maybe I did? I don’t know! You’re scaring me!” Hyunjin whined, hiding his face behind his sleeve-covered hands.

The strange deity released his robes and backed away from him, pursing his lips to dissolve the snarl that had been plastered on his annoyed face. After a deep and long sigh, he forced himself to smile as widely as he could, making him look a lot creepier rather than friendly.

“Okay, calm down…let’s start over…” he muttered through gritted teeth, eyes wide and unblinking as he kept on smiling. Still, it did nothing to hide his irritation inside. “ _Hi, I’m Seo Changbin - God of Sanity._ What are you the god of?”

Hyunjin peeked at him and sniffled. “The…the God of Guiding Light… I’m a-”

Changbin’s creepy grin disappeared instantly.

“ _Guardian God_ ,” he finished the sentence before Hyunjin could. His voice drastically mellowed into a more dulcet tone, and for some reason, his words had almost sounded like a condolence.

The God of Sanity regarded him with a glimmer of sadness in his mismatched eyes before sighing and speaking once more. “So what’s your name, _Guardian_?”

“Hwang Hyunjin,” he answered, wiping at the unshed tears in his eye as he pouted. Now that Changbin’s voice wasn’t piercing straight through his eardrums, Hyunjin felt a bit calmer, and he felt a little less reluctant to talk.

The strange god leaned against an opposite pillar and crossed his arms over his chest. “When were you ordained, Hyunjin?”

“Um...right after I ascended...”

“How long were you up there before you descended down to earth again?”

“I…I don't think it was there for long. I remember dying on the mountain, and when I opened my eyes again, I was in Heaven. But the Creators sent me back down here right away.”

“What the heck? Really? Aish! No wonder you’re dressed like that!” Changbin spluttered in disbelief, before shaking his head and massaging his temples. “First, they make you a Guardian God, and then, they don’t bother even giving you the proper clothes to change into! What about money? Did they at least give you money for food?”

Hyunjin shook his head. “N-No…they didn’t…”

He hadn’t really expected the Creators to give him anything else after they’d just gifted him with immortality. 

“I swear they’re becoming more and more abominable with each year that passes!” Changbin exclaimed with a roll of his eyes. He took a couple steps forward and conceitedly began fluffing his hair. “Well, be glad I was the one who found you! This generous god is willing to spare what little resources he has to help out a fellow deity in need!”

Hyunjin blinked in confusion. “Uhh…I, uhm, thank you?”

“No need to thank me, Guardian!” Changbin waved him off flippantly. “You can return the favor by paying for my rent next month.”

“O-Okay,” he agreed, even though he had no idea what his companion was talking about.

The God of Sanity unreservedly held his hand out. “Let’s go to my apartment. We can sort out your clothing and food situation over there.”

For a moment, the new deity stared down at Changbin’s open hand in apprehension, but when he looked up and saw the sincere warmness in the god’s mismatched eyes, Hyunjin’s trepidation melted away.

He gratefully took Changbin’s hand and smiled.

* * *

Changbin lived in a hole inside a towering pillar. Hyunjin was later informed that these pillars were called buildings in this age, and the hole was called an apartment. Some people had enough money to buy these holes and claim them as their permanent homes. Changbin, however, could not afford to purchase his own hole, and he had to pay tributes to the ‘landlord’ every month so he could continue living inside the massive pillar.

“I hope you realize you’re in quite a pinch,” the God of Sanity spoke, ushering Hyunjin over to the small table in the corner of his room. “You don’t have a temple, so you’re gonna need to find a job soon. I don’t make enough money to support two people.”

Hyunjin sat down primly on one of the cushions, observing all the items littered around the apartment. “I thought all the gods have their own temples?”

“All the _greater gods_ have their own temples…the ones who people pray to and visit everyday,” Changbin corrected him as he rummaged through a giant white box, one tall enough to swallow him whole if it were alive. “We, on the other hand, are the _lesser gods_. Hardly anyone ever visits my puny temple, let alone pray for my blessings, and as far as I can tell, I’m the only one in the middle kingdom who knows you existence right now.”

“How will I make my presence known to the humans then?”

Changbin emerged from the white box with another strange item in his hands. “See, that’s gonna be a problem. We can’t reveal who we really are to them, and we can’t show them our true forms. So you’re gonna have to listen very carefully for their prayers, grant them, and hope that they share testimonies of your graciousness to others. You never know…maybe someday, your followers will build a temple in your honor. Maybe you’ll have worshippers who’ll donate lots of money in exchange for your blessings, and you won’t have to worry about scraping by every single month. That’s the dream life right there!”

Hyunjin furrowed his brows, scrutinizing the object Changbin placed right in front of him. It was dark in color and triangular in shape, and it had a stick with a small fire at the end poked into it.

“I know it’s not much, but it’s the last slice from the chocolate cake my friend, Seungmin, gave to me. It’s the best part, but I’m giving it to you anyway since today is technically your ‘birthday’.”

The Guardian God titled his head in bewilderment. “Changbin-ssi, what’s a… _chocolate cock_?”

Changbin’s expression twisted in horror and disgust. “Oh god! I said cake! It’s called a cake, Hyunjin! _Cake_! Please don’t ever say co- _that other word_ in front of me ever again.”

“Okay,” he stated with a casual shrug. “But what am I supposed to do with this cake?”

“You have eaten cake before…haven’t you?” the God of Sanity asked, brows crinkling in uncertainty.

Hyunjin simply shook his head.

“Alright, this is getting ridiculous. Seriously, Hyunjin, what year were you born?”

“Um, I’m not exactly sure…but I do know that my mother gave birth to me around the time WangGeon first came to power.”

Changbin’s jaw dropped, looking even more horrified than before. “Wang Geon? Taejo Wang Geon???”

“Yes!” Hyungjin responded enthusiastically. “Is he still ruling over Goryeo?”

“No! Hyunjin, he’s dead! He’s been dead for a long time now!” the God of Sanity divulged, realization slowly dawning over his expressive features. “In fact…he died…more than a thousand years ago…”

Hyunjin’s lungs seized up, and his veins fill with ice cold terror. “W-What? But…b-but I…”

No…no, it couldn’t be right.

Changbin had to be mistaken.

“You said you died, right? And when you woke up, you were in Heaven. Then you came back down right away, didn’t you? It doesn’t take one thousand years for all that to happen, Hyunjin…”

“ _Then, where did I disappear to all those years ago?_ ” the Guardian God whispered, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes.

Where had he gone?

Where had he been before he'd awakened in Heaven?

Had his spirit been trapped on earth?

Had he really been asleep for a thousand years? 

Why hadn't the Creators told him? 

There was so much - _so much_ they hadn't told him.

“Hey…hey, don’t cry. Don’t cry, okay?” Changbin attempted to comfort him, placing a consoling hand over Hyunjin’s shoulder and rubbing at it awkwardly. “We’ll...We'll figure this out. Souls don’t just go missing for over a thousand years and get turned into Guardian Gods out of nowhere. There has to be an explanation, and we’re getting to the bottom of this first thing tomorrow morning, alright?”

He held himself back from sobbing, if only not to weep uncontrollably in the home of someone he just met. It was incredibly difficult for him to stop once he started crying, and the least he could do was spare Changbin from the shrillness of his wails. “Okay…okay, we will...we will...”

Hyunjin bit his bottom lip, before willing away his sadness and compelling himself to smile. “Thank you, Changbin-ssi…for being so generous…”

The God of Sanity offered him a small curl on his lips in return, and he pushed the wooden bowl closer to Hyunjin.

“Happy birthday, Guardian. Close your eyes and blow out the candle,” Changbin urged him. “Oh, and don’t forget to make a wish!”

It was not a custom he was unfamiliar with. Hyunjin had made many wishes in the past, though many of them had been left unanswered. Still, he did as his companion had instructed, closing his eyes and silently making a wish before blowing out the candle with a single breath.

Hopefully, he wouldn't have to die again for his wish to be granted this time.

* * *

_I wish I could find out what it's like to love...to love and be loved...to cherish and be cherished for all eternity... If there really is such a thing as one true love, I would like to know how it feels..._

Miles and miles away, a demon looked up from the field of blue flowers he was standing in, eyes widening as a voice he hadn’t heard in a very long time echoed through his ears.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, this is M2 Finding SKZ God Edition + Goblin + Heaven’s Official Blessing. If this were a televised South Korean drama, the theme song would be The Story That Never Ends by Stray Kids, because it really suits the plot and makes me wanna cry. Heck, let’s just make a whole OST - Round and Round by Heize, Lucid Dream by Monogram, If I by Seventeen, Melody (ft. Jon Becker) by Cadmium, and Astronaut by Stray Kids.
> 
> To recap, Hyunjin is the God of Guiding Light aka Guardian God. Changbin is the God of Sanity. More to follow on the other SKZ Gods.

_You were my first love._

_In each of your lifetimes, you were the same…_

_Your smiles, your eyes, your breaths, and your tears._

_For many years, I fell for you again and again. I looked after you, and I stayed with you._

_Every moment we had together was a gift._

_When the days were happy and when the days were sad, I loved all of them…_

_Because you were there._

_Each time we said farewell, I cried, and I could only hope that next time,_

_there would be no more goodbyes._

_Even after all this time, my heart aches for no one else but you._

_And now, here you are again - my first love and my last love._

_My one and my only._

_So for one final time, let me be yours again too._

“ _Yah, Changbin…Binnie…Changbin-ah, wake up…_ ”

Hyunjin groaned as someone gently prodded him into consciousness. The jabs were incessant, but the Guardian God stubbornly snuggled deeper into his blanket cocoon with every intent to ignore the person intruding on his beauty sleep.

“Binnie-yah, if you don’t wake up…I’m gonna start plucking out your eyebrow hairs one by one.”

Startled at the warning, Hyunjin’s eyes shot wide open. It was still dark inside the apartment, but the dawn’s blue light coming from the window lended him enough brightness to see the room’s interior.

Cautiously, he rolled onto his back, and the Guardian God met an unfamiliar face - one that was immediately shocked upon meeting Hyunjin’s gaze.

The interloper stumbled onto the floor and reeled backwards. “Wh-Who- Where’s- Where’s Chang- Oh god…oh my god…why are you in his be- are you his- did you two- last night?!”

Hyunjin nervously wriggled out of his blanket cocoon and nervously backed up against the wall. He didn’t know who this person was, why he was in Changbin’s hole, or what the trespasser was trying to say.

But he knew that this person was another god.

His hair gleamed in the color of lilacs, and the skin on his face was absurdly smooth, glowing ethereally with the light of sunrise. Compared to Changbin’s striking visage, this god’s features were soft and charmingly pleasant even though he was rancorously staring at Hyunjin.

“ _Seungmin…what the fuck?_ ”

Both Hyunjin and the stranger turned to the raspy morning voice that had reverberated from behind the dining table.

The God of Sanity groggily rubbed at his eyes as he sat up and kicked off the towel he’d used as a blanket last night. “It’s barely even morning… Why are you screaming inside my apartment so damn early?”

Seungmin, the now named intruder, sent a nasty scowl in Changbin’s direction. “Well, I’m sorry I wanted to take you out to breakfast before work. I didn’t know your _boyfriend_ slept over last night.”

“ _Boyfriend?_ ” Changbin garbled, scratching the top of his head. “What boyfriend?”

Still leering, Seungmin dusted himself off as he got up and irritatedly nudged his head in Hyunjin’s direction.

Changbin’s mismatched eyes squinted at the Guardian God, who waved back at him awkwardly because they seemed to be talking about him. “Oh. Hyunjin? He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Then, why was he sleeping in _your bed_?”

“I found him literally walking around the streets like a crazy homeless person yesterday, so I decided to be a nice and took him in,” the God of Sanity answered casually.

Hyunjin nodded enthusiastically, thinking it would help appease Changbin’s friend.

But Seungmin didn’t seem convinced. “Sure. Whatever, Changbin. Didn’t know you were the _God of Hobos_ now,” he jeered, before turning away to leave the apartment.

Changbin hurriedly shuffled to his feet and pulled Seungmin away from the door by the elbow. “Hey…hey, what’s going on with you? Why are you so pissed off?”

Seungmin’s tense gaze lowered, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to be here while your one-night stand is in your bed.”

“ _One-night stand_? I told you - Hyunjin’s a homeless bum. I was just trying to help a fellow god out.”

“And you just happened to find a really, really, really, _really handsome hobo_ with nowhere else to go?”

“Okay, you said ‘really’ way too many times.”

“That’s not the point!” Seungmin groused, slapping Changbin’s hands away as they tried to grasp at his arms.

“Listen, Seungmin! Yes, Hyunjin’s handsome, but that doesn’t mean I’m just gonna have sex with him!” The God of Sanity finally succeeded in grabbing hold of his friend’s evasive limbs, and he tugged Seungmin close against his own chest.

For a moment, all of Seungmin’s movements stopped, and his breath hitched as Changbin’s lips ghosted over the shell of his ear.

“Seungmin-ah…” Changbin whispered huskily. “I thought you would have figured it out by now…”

The other god felt a sort of fluttering in his stomach, and his heart was racing at the proximity between his and Changbin’s bodies. They’d never gotten physically close like this before, and it was making him all flustered and helpless. “F-Figured out what?”

Was it finally happening?

Was Changbin finally going to confes-

The God of Sanity pulled away from Seungmin’s ear and looked deep into his eyes.

“I thought you would have figured out who Hyunjin is by now,” Changbin said, completely serious and slightly puzzled by Seungmin’s current lack of hubris this morning. “You brag about how smart you are all the time.”

He hadn’t been teasing, and he hadn’t realized that the other god had gravely misinterpreted his bold actions.

Because Seo Changbin had always been dense about _this_ sort of thing.

Seungmin’s eyes rolled up to the heavens, and he released a heavy sigh of disappointment. “I hate you so much…” he murmured under his breath.

“Look…I know I’m not the God of Charity, and it’s not like I have the means to take care of him…but…Hyunjin is…Hyunjin’s the new God of Guiding Light…”

At the mention of Hyunjin’s true identity, Seungmin’s anger quickly receded, and it was replaced by a disconcerted expression.

He glimpsed at the god who had not left Changbin’s bed. Hyunjin didn’t seem to have caught on to what they were whispering about, and even though Seungmin had been hostile to him since the very beginning, he still offered Seungmin a warm, heartfelt smile in return.

“Guardian God?” He glanced at Changbin once more. “Seriously? After everything that’s happened?”

The God of Sanity nodded dolefully.

Seungmin felt a pang of guilt in his chest. “So…nothing really happened between you two last night?”

“No! I promise! You know I would never lie to you.”

Changbin had never been one to lie about anything, even when the truth was so much easier to hide.

“Fine… I trust you.”

The god with mismatched eyes chuckled and fondly ruffled his friend’s lilac-colored hair. “Damn, were you really that jealous of Hyunjin’s face?”

Seungmin deadpanned and wondered how he was ever attracted to the God of Sanity in the first place. “Sure, I’m jealous of his face. Let’s go with that.”

Finally, Changbin returned his attention to the Guardian God. “Come over here, Hyunjin. I want to formally introduce you to my long-time friend, Kim Seungmin. He’s the one who gave me the chocolate cake.”

Changbin playfully smacked his friend on the butt cheek and winked. “Time to make a new friend,” he stated with a cheesy grin, knowing fully well that Seungmin hated making new friends and interacting with others in general, before escaping to the bathroom.

Hyunjin stood up and staggered over to the god in delight. “Oh, Seungmin-ssi! That co- I mean, that cake was so delicious. I’ve never tasted anything so sweet before!”

He took Seungmin’s hand and politely bowed to him in the traditional way. “The Creators blessed you with such a wonderful power,” he swiftly added after coming back up from bending perfectly at the waist.

Seungmin gave him a bewildered look. “Wait, what? I didn’t make that cake.”

“Are you not the God of Confectionary?”

Was there even a God of Confectionary?

If there were one, the Creators were obviously much too bored with their lives up in Heaven.

“No, I’m the God of Even Proportions,” the god answered, breathing deeply and trying really hard not to walk out on this weird conversation.

“Even proportions?” Hyunjin repeated after him, head tilted cutely to the side.

Seungmin had to pause, pondering whether the Guardian God was trying to mess with him by acting all cute and clueless or he really was just kind of dumb.

“Uh. Have you ever heard of the Golden Ratio? The 1:8? You know who Gong Yoo is, right? If his mother hadn’t prayed to me before his birth, he wouldn’t have gotten the perfect body proportion he has right now. It’s all thanks to me that he’s such a popular actor.”

“Please stop taking credit for Gong Yoo’s success,” Changbin interposed, emerging from the bathroom dressed in his work uniform.

“Who’s Gong Yoo?” Hyunjin queried, glancing back and forth between the two gods.

One quiet step at a time, Seungmin slowly backed away from the Guardian God and curved around the room to stand behind the God of Sanity.

“Changbin, save me from that blasphemous creature.”

* * *

“Alright, Hyunjin,” Changbin began saying, after they rolled up the futon and cleared away the blankets and pillows. “I don’t have much in my closet, but you’re free to wear whatever fits you.”

“You’re letting him sleep in your bed and wear your clothes? How romantic of you, Changbin-ah,” Seungmin remarked sarcastically from atop the kitchen counter he was sitting on.

The God of Sanity pointedly frowned at his friend while sliding his closet door open for an excited Hyunjin. “Why are you being so weird today?”

Seungmin shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not being weird. I’m just stating facts.”

“Changbin-ssi…oh, your clothes!” Hyunjin cried out in dismay, holding out two different pairs of distressed jeans he found. “They have holes in them! I didn’t know you were this poor!”

Changbin made an indignant face and jerked his jeans out of the Guardian God’s hands. “Hey! It’s called fashion, Hyunjin! It’s what young people wear these days!”

“Even if you keep up with the trends, you still look like you’re pushing fifty,” Seungmin commented unhelpfully.

“Shut up, dandy boy!”

* * *

In the end, Hyunjin had decided to wear one of Changbin’s oversized sweaters, a tighter sweater with a turtleneck underneath, a wool scarf, non-distressed jeans that cut off at the middle of his calves, red-striped socks to hide the exposed skin the jeans couldn’t cover up, and a pair of worn-out sneakers.

Walking next to two men in regular work clothes, the God of Guiding Light looked absolutely ridiculous…and maybe even slightly deranged. It also didn’t help that Seungmin had given Hyunjin a pair of fake glasses to wear so he could ‘blend in with the crowd’ better - a total lie if anyone were to ask Changbin. The glasses were doing nothing to help Hyunjin look anything less than nerdy, and the God of Sanity could only feel second-hand embarrassment as students passing by whispered and giggled at the sight of Hyunjin’s outlandish appearance.

But the Guardian God had insisted on dressing as modestly as possible, and he was more than pleased with the outfit he’d put together himself. So Changbin held his tongue and proceeded with their morning agenda with as much dignity as he could muster.

“Where are we going again?” Seungmin asked, looking around at all the expensive Gangnam houses they were strolling past.

“Hyunjin needs to talk to the Creators, so we’re stopping by Bobby’s house first before you and I head to work,” the God of Sanity explained as the three men approached their destination.

Hyunjin had never seen houses so big before, and he could only imagine how many years it took to build these majestic homes. “Is Bobby another one of your friends, Changbin-ssi?”

“Bobby and I are definitely _not friends_ ,” Changbin had to clarify, shuddering as he imagined actually being friends with that horrible menace. “He’s the god who protects the gateway between the three kingdoms. If you ever need to visit Heaven or Hell, Bobby is the only one who can take you there.”

They eventually stopped in front of a luxurious mansion with a grey roof. Bobby’s house looked like a villa straight out of a European neighborhood. It was modern, sleek, and encompassed in greenery - a house most gods and most humans could only fantasize about owning someday.

Seungmin rang the doorbell, and after a few seconds, a half-naked man unabashedly opened the door.

Hyunjin gasped and shielded his eyes from the person’s exposed torso, but the home’s owner paid him no attention. Instead, Bobby licked at his bottom lip, and he suggestively ogled the God of Sanity up and down. “Hey, Changbin…finally ready for me to show you a good time?”

Changbin cleared his throat and forced himself to smile as amicably as possible. “Hello, _Bobby_ , long time no see. Um, no. We’re not here for a good time. We’re actually here to talk to the Creators, so…if you could kindly let us in so we could head upstairs?”

“Ah. I’m afraid I have to deny your request, Changbinnie,” he replied in a sensual tone, leaning against the doorframe. 

“ _And why not?_ ” Seungmin spoke up, catching Bobby’s attention for the first time since they arrived.

The Gateway God narrowed his eyes at Seungmin, who returned Bobby’s leer with a nasty scowl of his own. “There’s been a change of rules quite recently. Until further notice, no one goes up without a summoning from the Creators.”

“What?! No fucking way! That’s bullshit!” Changbin squawked, startling Hyunjin and making him peek through his fingers. “Why would they do that?! They’re already making us do all the grunt work down here, and now, we can’t even freely go back to Heaven when we need to?! It’s not fair!”

Bobby chuckled sadistically. “Sorry. I don’t make the rules, Changbinnie. But like I said, unless you’re summoned, you can’t go up.”

“Surely there must be another way to go back up to Heaven!” Hyunjin interjected, covering the lower field of his vision with the scarf around his neck. “Please, Bobby-ssi, please! There is so much I need to ask the Creators!”

The Gateway God observed Hyunjin for a moment, and his tone became even more salacious. “I mean…we can do each other _a few favors_ if you know what I mean.”

“What favors do y-”

“Hyunjin, don’t! He’s going to make you suck his dick!” Changbin roared, tugging the perpetually confused Guardian God closer to his side.

“Either that or you can bribe me with some cold hard cash,” was Bobby’s sinister counteroffer. “Three hundred million won should be a fair price.”

“You’re such a bitch, Bobby! Who even has that kind of money these days?!”

A bestial grin stretched across the Gateway God’s face. “I can name a few gods if you’d rather suck their dicks, Changbinnie. You’d let me watch, won’t you?”

“Ugh, come on, guys!” Changbin grumbled vexedly, before whirling around and grabbing Seungmin’s wrist so they could leave. “Bobby’s out of his goddamn mind again!”

“Good bye, Changbinnie! It was lovely seeing you again,” Bobby called out after them, watching as the nerdy-looking god followed closely behind his two friends.

“And I’ve got a feeling I’ll be seeing _you_ again soon… _Guardian_ …” he added hauntingly.

Hyunjin stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Bobby smirking at him diabolically. A terrifying chill shot up his spine, and his first instinct was to get as far away as he could from the shameless man. So the Guardian God quickly ran away and caught up to Changbin and Seungmin, heart beating wildly in his chest.

He didn’t know why he felt so scared. There wasn’t any reason for him to be…but the way Bobby had smirked at him just hadn’t felt right at all…

* * *

Because Changbin and Seungmin had to go to work, they had no choice but to leave Hyunjin in another hole called a ‘cafe’. They had also left him with some money to buy food, as well as Changbin’s ‘phone’ to keep him busy. The small device was an astounding invention. It played so many different songs and allowed Hyunjin to play games within its four corners. There was even a way for him to call Seungmin and talk to him in case of emergencies, and he didn’t even have to leave the cafe to do so.

The God of Sanity promised they’d return for him before nightfall, and he’d explicitly instructed Hyunjin to stay put and not to talk to other people unless absolutely necessary.

For the first few hours, the Guardian God diligently followed his friend’s instructions, but right as Hyunjin was about to dig into the ‘sandwich’ he bought, a harrowed voice pierced through his ears out of nowhere.

_‘I can’t do this anymore…I can’t live like this…It’s too hard…It hurts too much…How did I let my life become such a mess?’_

Hyunjin automatically stood, searching for the person whose voice he could hear. It didn’t seem to belong to anyone in the cafe, so he packed up his sandwich and headed outside.

If he’d started hearing voices back when he was still human, Hyunjin would’ve thought he’d gone crazy. But as a god, he knew deep down that the voice had been reaching out to him, crying for help - calling for _Hyunjin’s_ help.

_‘I don’t want to feel this pain anymore…I don’t want to live like this anymore…Please…Please…take the pain away…Take the pain away, and let me finally know peace…’_

Someone was in turmoil. Someone needed his guiding light this very moment, and he had to get to them before it was too late.

The god didn’t know where his feet were taking him, but he kept running.

He kept weaving in and out unfamiliar streets, searching desperately for the person whose very soul was crying out to him.

The farther he ran, the louder the voice became, until he stumbled upon an unkept street. Here, a small house with smashed windows lured his attention, and when he knocked on the door, there was no hesitation in his actions.

The person who needed him was here. Hyunjin was sure of it.

It was a short man who’d opened the door. It was obvious that he’d been crying, but his expression held only anger. “What the fuck do you want?!” he harshly said.

Hyunjin took no offense to the man’s rude words. His sharp eyes had caught a glimpse of rope hanging from the ceiling inside the mortal’s home, and it saddened him to find out that the short man thought he had no other option left in life.

The Guardian God gently took the man’s hand and placed the cafe sandwich in his open palm. “Just one more day.”

“W-What did you say?”

“Just live for one more day,” Hyunjin repeated, pulling out the money Changbin had given him. He placed the coins and paper bills into the mortal’s other hand and smiled. “This should be enough for one more day, right? Tomorrow, something good will happen to you…and I wouldn’t want to miss it if I were you…”

For him to know with certainty, that something joyous was waiting for this person the next day…perhaps it was a part of Hyunjin’s power as the God of Guiding Light. There was no other explanation for it, and though he knew what good thing the man was about to experience, Hyunjin chose not to tell him. It would be even better for the mortal to discover it for himself. 

As Hyunjin walked away, the man fell to his knees and burst into tears. “T-Thank you!!!! T-Thank y-you so much!!!”

* * *

Looking at the faces of other mortals, Hyunjin found himself learning and understanding. He could see their feelings, hopes, and fears. In small fragments, he saw visions of their pasts, and with the color and the light in their eyes, the Guardian God saw specters of their different futures.

The crackle of thunder did nothing to distract him from ambling down the busy streets. He was far too busy listening to the mortals’ thoughts and uncovering the secrets of their hearts, and Hyunjin was so glad to know that many of them were so beautiful inside.

As the rain soaked through his clothes, the god couldn’t help but chortle bittersweetly. The last time he’d felt raindrops trickle down his cheeks, he had been on the verge of death. So Hyunjin looked up at the Heavens and jestingly asked, “Well? Aren’t you going to grant my wish this time?”

The Guardian God recalled the wish he’d made just yesterday and dismissively shook his head. He’d already made a grand wish once. It was now his turn to grant wishes.

He absently sauntered through the many streets of this new world, retracing his steps back to the cafe with little earnest. There had always been something rather blissful about walking in the rain and seeing his breaths form in the cold air. Even the sound and the smell of rain brought him so much tranquility, and so for just a little while longer, Hyunjin indulged himself beneath the sky’s tears.

He passed by many more faces, and he welcomed even more feelings coming from their honest hearts.

But then...all their voices and all their thoughts were slowly muted away, as Hyunjin lost himself in the depths of unforthcoming, silver eyes.

There was an otherworldly being in front of him, staring back at the Guardian God from underneath the protection of his umbrella. His face was framed by silver locks - the exact same color as his eyes, and the alabaster skin beneath his orbs were painted with freckles. His expression was oddly vacant and intimidating, but still, Hyunjin couldn't stop staring. His mere presence had been enough to stop the god dead in his tracks, and with just his eyes, he'd managed to seize Hyunjin's entire soul. 

He was just so breathtakingly handsome - a paragon of sublimity no one else could ever compete with, and his gaze was making Hyunjin feel dizzy.

Who was he?

Who was this captivating person?

“Hello, Hyunjin…” he greeted the Guardian God with an ominous smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you for giving this fic and update a chance! Thank you so so soooooo much to everyone who left kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions. Please do comment if you have time. I would really reaaaalllllyyy appreciate any kind of feedback! It also helps me to know who's interested in reading the rest of this fic. Again, I think this should be about 10 chapters, since I'm not trying to make it too long. 
> 
> Here's some fun facts about this fic:  
> 1.) This fic is heavily influenced by the elements in the SKZ Astronaut MV. Hopefully by the end, you guys can get a visual of this fic by watching the MV.  
> 2.) M2 Finding SKZ God Edition also really drove me to write this fic. There was another fic I wanted to start first (which was heavily influenced by Voices), but I chose to go with this plot first instead cuz I needed to bring back Jireumshin and Jypshin somehow LOL  
> 3.) There's a reason why everyone is all acting weirdly to Hyunjin being the Guardian God, and it's going to play a huge factor in the plot development.  
> 4.) A lot of side characters have a crush on Changbin in this fic, but he has no idea. Seungmin, however, does know that he's got a lot of competition.  
> 5.) Yes, Hyunjin's outfit in this chapter is from the Get Cool MV.  
> 6.) I'm really excited to showcase all the other SKZ members in the next few chapters. Their gods will be slightly tweaked though to fit the story, like how I altered Hyunjin's but alluded to his "straw shoes/Jypshin" name in the first chapter.  
> 7.) I'm trying my best to balance the humor and angst in this fic, but just know that the last few chapters will be more angsty but also very romantic.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading! Post your thoughts, theories, and questions down below if you guys have any!


	3. Chapter 3

_You were my first love._

_In each of your lifetimes, you were the same…_

_Your smiles, your eyes, your breaths, and your tears._

_For many years, I fell for you again and again. I looked after you, and I stayed with you._

_Every moment we had together was a gift._

_When the days were happy and when the days were sad, I loved all of them…_

_Because you were there._

_Each time we said farewell, I cried, and I could only hope that next time,_

_there would be no more goodbyes._

_Even after all this time, my heart aches for no one else but you._

_And now, here you are again - my first love and my last love._

_My one and my only._

_So for one final time, let me be yours again too._

_Hello, Hyunjin…_

Despite the iciness of the rain, Hyunjin could feel a growing warmth spread over his cheeks. Those simple words had made his heartbeat quicken and his mind addled in a whirlwind of indescribable emotions.

The stranger languidly approached and relentlessly peered back at the Hyunjin with two orbs filled with liquid silver.

The Guardian God felt like he’d been trapped in a daze. His lips were parted in awe at how hauntingly beautiful the stranger’s voice was. His gaze was entirely focused on the sublime creature before him, and he could see nothing and no one else. This silver-haired enchanter was radiant and regal, but at the same time, his presence was dark and domineering. He wasn’t like Changbin and Seungmin. He wasn’t balmy or glowing like they were.

Now, as they both stood underneath the same umbrella, just inches away from each other’s bodies, Hyunjin could see and _feel_ how different he was.

This stranger…was something much more tenebrous.

Cold.

Hollow.

Sinister.

Dangerous…

Hyunjin was scared.

But he was also deeply and irrevocably _enthralled_.

“Wow…” he unconsciously remarked, still drowning in liquid silver orbs.

The stranger’s pink-tinted lips curled slightly at the corners, and only then did Hyunjin realize what had just slipped out of his ungracious mouth.

“I- I mean- I- I- I- h-how…how d-do you know my n-name?!” the Guardian God demanded with all the ferocity of a newborn puppy. It was hard to act fierce when all he wanted to do was bury his burning, red face in his sleeve-covered palms.

His silver-haired companion chuckled, no doubt amused by Hyunjin’s shame and pathetic attempt to look brave. But his laugh had sounded like a chime in the wind, and for a small moment, he bore the visage of someone who used to be human. “I know everyone’s name…”

“T-Then…you’re a god as well?” Hyunjin had to ask, because he just couldn’t be sure.

The person in front of him looked like a god, but he was exuding a different kind of power - one that was not at all godly, but disturbingly quiet and insidious. Like at any moment, he could seriously hurt Hyunjin if he wanted to. Changbin’s nagging voice was practically ringing through his eyes, telling him to run, to hide, to get as far away from this person as he could.

But Hyunjin’s curiosity was muddling with his thoughts and blocking out all sense of reason.

The enchanter’s expression turned coy, and his brow quirked up playfully. “Only if you want me to be…”

The Guardian God cleared his throat and shyly curled into himself, making his tall frame appear shorter than it really was. “A-Are y-you also a friend of…of Changbin-ssi?”

“Of course…” the silver-haired stranger teasingly replied, before stepping even closer into Hyunjin’s personal bubble. “Would you like to be my friend as well… _Hyunjin_?”

He spoke in an even sweeter and softer tone, and the deepness in his voice evoked a sense of nostalgia within Hyunjin’s heart.

Had they met before?

Surely, he would remember encountering such a beautiful stranger.

But his memories were foggy and dim, as if he’d lived his entire human life under a shroud. His vision of the past was obscured and fragmented, and he could hardly even recall how his parents looked like.

“I…I don’t- I mean- I, um…w-would you at least tell me your n-name first?” Hyunjin stuttered. He was already way too confused, overwhelmed, and now flustered as well, and he didn’t know how much more of this he could take.

His heart felt swollen. It was _yearning_ for something, but he didn’t know what it wanted. It almost hurt to breathe because of all the emotions weighing so heavily inside his chest. They wished to come forth and be revealed, but Hyunjin couldn’t understand what they were trying to say.

The stranger appeared to notice the Guardian God’s emotional dismay, and a glint of diablerie dovetailed into the silver of his eyes. His gaze became even more ludic, and with his deep and sultry voice, he said, “You can come with me if you’d like to know.”

* * *

Hyunjin hadn’t expected his silver-haired companion to take him to another hole in a pillar. The stranger’s home was fifty times bigger than Changbin’s small apartment.

He also hadn’t expected the person he just met to draw him a hot bath, wash his rain-soaked garments, towel-dry his hair, gift him with a whole new set of clothes and shoes to wear, and to top it all off, cook him a warm meal.

But the Guardian God could only assume that most gods on earth were typically this kind and generous. Either that, or he was just extremely lucky to have run into Changbin and this silver-haired stranger.

As they began eating the tender beef and rice his new friend had cooe, Hyunjin felt it only proper to start a conversation. He didn’t want to be rude to someone who’d taken the time to offer him shelter from the rain and food for his empty stomach.

“Uhm…I just wanted to say thank you, uh- again,” the Guardian God stated, awkwardly fiddling with the chopsticks in his hand. “And I would really like to know your name…seeing as we’re friends now…”

The stranger softly smiled at him. “You can call me Yongbok.”

Yongbok.

Why did it sound familiar?

Hyunjin pushed away the intrusive thought and smiled back at his companion. “Yongbok-ssi, you have such a lovely name.”

“Please. No need to be so formal,” his silver-haired companion interposed, head titled to the side as he sweetly peered at the Guardian God. “Like you said, we’re friends now, aren’t we?”

“Y-Yes, you’re right,” he stammered, flustered and red in the face yet again. There really was something unexplainably enchanting about Yongbok’s gaze, and Hyunjin couldn’t fathom all the emotions and all the urges he felt just looking into Yongbok’s eyes.

Why was he acting like this?

Why did he feel the need to lean into Yongbok’s space? To touch him…to feel him…to… _taste him?_

Hyunjin immediately snapped out of his reverie, scandalized by his own dirty thoughts, and mentally clamored for an appropriate response. “Y-Yongbok!!! I-um…h-how…how long have you been a…a god?”

The silver-haired immortal swallowed the meat he’d been chewing before casually answering, “Since the first coin was made.”

“S-So then…you’ve been a god for at least a thousand years, right?”

“That is correct.”

With Yongbok’s confirmation, Hyunjin could only think of a small possibility. If his silver-haired friend had encountered his soul in the past few centuries, then maybe…just maybe he could fill in the gaps in Hyunjin’s memories.

“I was wondering…did you ever…uhh, do you maybe…remember ever seeing me before? Somewhere?”

Yongbok’s back straightened, and he pursed his lips before shrugging his shoulders and looking away. “ _I don’t recall_ , ” he stiffly answered with a dismissive tone.

Hyunjin nodded weakly. A growing frustration simmered beneath his skin, rendering him unable to hide the crestfallen expression on his face. The grip he had on his chopsticks tightened, and though he was really hungry, he couldn’t bring himself to eat with all these burning questions plaguing his mind and bringing him no peace.

“I’m sorry, Yongbok. I know that sounded extremely vague, and you probably have no idea what I’m talking about…but I was a human over a thousand years ago. Everything that’s happened since then…all this time that’s passed…I don’t remember any of it. I don’t know where I was or where my soul had been. All I know is that I died one day…and when I woke up, I was in Heaven, and I didn’t know a thousand years had already passed. The Creators sent me down here right after turning me into a god, and when I tried going back up this morning, Bobby said I couldn’t. Not without a summoning.”

“That’s…quite unfortunate…” Yongbok commented dully, looking down at the table space between them.

Hyunjin lowered himself to try and catch his companion’s gaze once more. “I just want to know what happened to me before I woke up, Yongbok…and I want to know why the Creators didn’t bother explaining anything to me. So if you know something… _anything_ that can lead me to any clues…I would really appreciate it if you could tell me…”

Yongbok’s lashes fluttered against his freckled apples of his cheeks, and with a heavy sigh, he despondently looked up. “…I’m sorry, Hyunjin…but I can’t give you the answers you’re looking for…”

“W-Wait, no!” Hyunjin squawked in alarm. Seeing Yongbok’s broken-hearted expression halted the gears in his head, and without digging deeper into what his new friend had just said, the Guardian God jilted their conversation for another time. “Please don’t say sorry. I should be the one apologizing for making you sad. Please don’t be sad, Yongbok…don’t be sad because of what’s happened me.”

Even though his silver eyes were glistening with crystalline tears, an affectionate smile spread across Yongbok’s pink lips. “I’m not sad…”

Hyunjin felt a sense of relief wash away his guilt. He took a deep breath, before confessing, “You have a really gorgeous smile, Yongbok.”

“Not as gorgeous as yours, Hyunjin…”

* * *

The sun was setting outside Yongbok’s apartment, and Changbin had told Hyunjin that he and Seungmin would be back at the cafe by dusk. So the Guardian God knew it was time to go.

“Thank you so much for letting me stay for a while, Yongbok,” he cheerfully stated to his companion. “I don’t have any money right now, but I can borrow some from Changbin-ssi to pay for the clothes and the food.”

They were sitting on stools beside the bar counter, drinking green tea from Yongbok’s cute mugs. For almost two hours, Hyunjin had been asking his companion different questions he had about this brand new world, and Yongbok had been patient enough to answer each one.

Now, the Guardian God had to leave…even though he wished he could stay just a little bit longer.

The silver-haired immortal tucked his palm underneath his chin, elbow resting near the edge of the counter. “There’s no need. Don’t worry about any of that, Hyunjin.”

“But Yongbok, you’ve been so nice to me,” the God of Guiding Light argued. “I need to repay you somehow.”

His companion’s eyes took on a darker hue, and something in his gaze shifted. “You don’t owe me anything, Hyunjin. But…If you really insist on a proper payment…”

Yongbok gracefully stood up from his seat and took a few steps closer to Hyunjin. “You can give me a _kiss_ …”

Now that he was standing and Hyunjin was still sitting down, Yongbok was looming over the Guardian God like a predator ready to maim. They were mere inches away from each other’s lips, and though he was doing all this only to tease, his flirtatious request was met with an unexpected response.

“Okay!” Hyunjin happily agreed, orbs shining bright with unfeigned exuberance.

Taken aback, Yongbok’s smirk slipped away, and his silver eyes widened for a fraction of a second. He caught himself before his vehemence could completely break through his impassive visage. The Guardian God didn’t need to know anything about what he was _feeling_ deep down inside.

None of it mattered.

None of it was important.

Hyunjin rapidly blinked up at the silver-haired deity. With raised brows and a tiny smile, he waited patiently for a reply, completely unaware of roaring sentiments hidden behind Yongbok’s frigid expression.

However, his friend simply kept staring down at him, and after a few seconds, Hyunjin finally decided to politely prod the other god for an explanation. “So what’s a kiss?”

Yongbok frowned and took a step back. He had to pause for a moment and wonder whether the Guardian God was messing with _him_ now, and at that thought, he couldn’t help but chuckle darkly. “Do you really not know what a kiss is?”

Hyunjin innocently shook his head. “I don’t think we had that when I was still human.”

“Then how about this? I’ll give _you_ a kiss now, and you can give _me_ one next time,” Yongbok said slyly, his silver orbs glinting iniquitously. “But first…you’ll need to close your eyes.”

“O-Oh, alright then…”

The God of Guiding Light did as he’d been told, closing his eyes without wariness and with only full confidence in his silver-haired companion.

Yongbok knew Hyunjin’s naive and trusting nature was going to get him in trouble one of these days, and for a small moment, he contemplated on giving the Guardian a vicious fright to teach him a lesson.

…But he had been waiting for so long to hear Hyunjin’s voice again, and he would never dare to hurt Hyunjin in any way.

After everything that’s happened in the past, the Guardian God deserved to know only happiness and peace in this lifetime.

So Yongbok took a bag of candy from behind the counter and instructed Hyunjin to hold out his hand. The silver-eyed immortal placed a foil-wrapped piece of caramel in the center of the Guardian’s palm, before saying, “You can open your eyes now.”

Hyunjin immediately opened his eyes and jovially examined the object deposited in his hand. “Oh, it’s so small! This is a…kiss?”

“Yes, and if you take off the silver foil, you can eat the prize inside.”

“But how can I eat it when it’s so precious? Oh, Yongbok, thank you! I’ll keep this kiss safe by my side forever!” Hyunjin exclaimed, cradling the piece of candy in both hands as if it were his most valuable possession. “And I’ll definitely give you one next time! If I can get a job and make enough money, maybe I can give you even more than one!”

Yongbok snickered at the Guardian’s adorable disposition and fondly gazed at his beaming smile. “I look forward to it…”

* * *

“So…is Hyunjin going to be staying with you for a while?”

Changbin scratched the back of his head. “This again? Seungmin-ah, do you have a crush on Hyunjin or something?”

“What? No!” Seungmin groaned irritably, glaring at his co-worker as they continued walking back to the cafe they left Hyunjin at. “Why would you even think I have a crush on him?”

“You keep talking about how he’s too handsome and how he’s going to take up all my time and eat all my food,” the God of Sanity explained. “Do _you_ want to take him in?”

“No, I already live with two people who just have sex _all the damn time_! I don’t need another roommate to make my life even more miserable!”

Just thinking about living with Jisung and Minho gave him chills. Changbin didn’t know how Seungmin has managed to put up with them for so long, especially since he and Minho were natural-born enemies since day one. “Well, I guess Hyunjin’s staying with me until he can get his own place.”

With that thought in mind, Changbin had to ponder on what it would be like a couple of months from now. He’d only just met Hyunjin, but he already felt somewhat responsible for the Guardian God’s wellbeing. Even though there was hardly enough space for two people in his apartment, it felt a lot less lonely living with someone. “I think I’d be a bit sad when he leaves though. He’s kind of…I don’t know…endearing? Cute?”

Seungmin rolled his eyes. “Then why don’t you just marry him so he’ll never have to leave you?”

“Ugh! What is with you today?! Are you really that jealous of Hyunjin’s face?”

“I’m not jealous of his face, okay? I’m jealous because he’s living with you and sleeping in your bed!”

“I asked if you wanted to share an apartment with me before and you said ‘no’!” Changbin contended, almost bumping into another person as his limbs flailed around to get his point across.

“I did, but…but our relationship was a lot different back then!”

“What do you mean? It seems pretty much the same to me. You annoy me. I annoy you. We hang out every now and then. What’s changed?”

Seungmin glared at Changbin before huffing and turning away. “…I hate you.”

“Hey, come on. Don’t be like that!” As the God of Sanity, he was always doing his best to keep cool and…well, sane. Changbin was a problem-solver, and he’d rather end conflicts quickly rather than get into fights with other people. He always had to be extra patient, especially in situations like these where Seungmin was upset and Changbin couldn’t understand why.

“Do you want to go eat together this weekend?” he ended up asking, because for whatever weird reason, the God of Even Proportions liked spending time with him even on the weekends. Changbin didn’t like hanging out with his other co-workers during his days off, but Seungmin had somehow weaseled his way into being the only exception.

“Without Hyunjin?”

Seungmin’s response sounded more like a statement than a question, but Changbin wasn’t going to dwell on the details.

“Yeah, just me and you. We’ll leave Hyunjin with your roommates. It’ll be like a date.”

Like parents dropping off their kid at the babysitter’s. Jisung and Minho owed him a favor, so they wouldn’t be able to refuse. It just sucked that he’d be using that hard-earned favor on babysitting services, but then again, if it would make Seungmin happy, he could consider it well-worth the sacrifice.

“A…a date?” the purple-haired god spluttered, which he only did whenever he was perturbed by something the God of Sanity had said.

Changbin laughed and lightly punched Seungmin’s shoulder. “Between friends, dandy boy.”

“Right…of course…” Seungmin lamented, rubbing at the spot his shoulder had been hit even though it didn’t really hurt. “You’re paying then.”

“Fine…it’ll be hyung’s treat. We’ll eat at that shabu-shabu place you like so much.”

The scowl on Seungmin’s lips softened into a thin line as he pondered on what he was about to say. As much as he loved bothering Changbin everyday, his greedy little heart wanted more.

They were only one crosswalk away from the cafe, but Seungmin couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to say it. He needed tell Changbin how he’s felt all these years.

“Hey, Binnie…there’s something I’ve been meaning to-”

“Hold on-” Changbin interrupted him, dramatically squinting in the direction of a statuesque figure - dressed in _Gucci_ from head to toe - in the middle of the sidewalk. “Is that…is that _Hyunjin_?!”

Seungmin’s glower immediately returned, and he grumpily whispered, “I hate you so much,” which his friend had not caught because he was too busy fretting over the new god.

Even though Changbin could only see his back, he knew from the tall and lanky silhouette that it was definitely Hyunjin. The Guardian God stuck out like a sore thumb with his model height and messy, black hair.

“Yah!!! Hyunjin! What are you doing outside the cafe? Why are your clothes different?!”

Upon hearing Changbin’s booming voice, Hyunjin excitedly turned around. “Oh, Changbin-ssi! Seungmin-ssi! Your friend is here with me!”

“What friend?! Who the hell are you talking about?” the God of Sanity hollered back, dashing right up to Hyunjin and whipping his head around to make sure there weren’t any demons lurking around.

It would be game over for the Guardian God if any of them caught even the slightest whiff of his existence, and now, Changbin regretted leaving Hyunjin at the cafe all by himself.

“Yongbok, come say hi to-” Hyunjin turned to his new friend, but he wasn’t no longer standing where the god had last seen him. The Guardian pouted, feeling disappointed by his silver-haired companion’s abrupt departure. “He didn’t even say good bye…”

* * *

“ _Hey, Felix…_ ”

Yongbok looked up from the book he was reading and glared at the pestilence who’d uttered his name. “What do you want now, _Barom_?”

Barom - the Demon of Wrath - walked a slow circle around the chair Yongbok was sitting in. “I heard an interesting story from the grapevine just now. Someone saw you bring a very handsome-looking god back to your apartment on Earth this afternoon.”

Of course, news traveled fast in the Nine Circles of Hell.

“ _And?_ ” Yongbok muttered vexedly. 

“I didn’t think you’d ever hide such riveting information from the rest of us. What happened to sharing? I thought we were _family_ ,” Barom gibed with a malicious grin, resting both hands on the top of Felix’s chair.

“I was hungry, and I happened to run into him, you nosy bitch. I’m not obligated to share my fuck toys with any of you.”

The Demon of Wrath moved his face closer to Yongbok’s ear. “I just think it’s funny how you just happened to run into the _new Guardian God_ …”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he answered rigidly, keeping his expression vacant despite the consternation filling his chest.

Barom tittered under his breath. “You’re the Demon of Greed, not the Demon of Lust, Felix. You don’t fuck around with the gods or with the other demons here. So I can’t help but wonder…are you intentionally keeping him away from us, Felix?”

Yongbok closed his book shut and glowered at the demonic entity. “You know, Barom, maybe you should focus on opening your _stupid orb_ instead of waiting for the next Guardian God to do it for you.”

He stood up and walked away from the other demon, but before he could escape into the Hellevator, Barom imparted one last, chilling conveyance that rattled through Felix's bones.

“Be sure to tell Hyunjin I said ‘hello’. We’re all just _dying_ to meet him…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to give a bit more background information,  
> 1.) Humans turn into gods through great sacrifice. So every god in this fic sacrificed their own lives for the sake of others. It's important for gods to be selfless, because they're there to help humans and not themselves. However, some of them - mostly the greater gods - eventually become greedy or haughty from all the followers, worship, status, money etc.   
> 2.) Pay close attention to everything Felix said in this chapter. It gives a lot of clues to the truths that will come out in the next few chapters.  
> 3.) Demons are evil beings who love corrupting gods and humans. Some of them used to be good but turned bad. Others were born straight from sin. Felix is a demon, but how he became one is a very rare case. Fun fact, the idols I chose to be the demons in this fic are all AUSSIES. *wink wink nudge nudge*  
> 4.) The "orb" in this chapter is very important to the ending of this fic as it has a link to all the Guardian Gods.  
> 5.) The Hellevator is an elevator between Earth and Hell. The elevator to Heaven, which can also be used to get to Hell but is rarely used for that purpose, is in Bobby's house. Hyunjin didn't go through that elevator during his descent to Earth because the Creators teleported him down.  
> 6.) We'll be seeing the other members of SKZ in the next chapter. Chan might be coming in a bit later though cuz he's got a special role here.
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think! It really does help motivate me when you leave comments, kudos, subscriptions, and bookmarks! I would love to hear some theories too if you guys have any!!! <3


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